Introduction

If you're in the market for an Android handset, I have good news for you – there's never been a better time to buy. Not only are there a number of awesome handsets out there, but there's also a smartphone to suit everyone's needs, taste, and even pocket!

Published: October 2, 2014 -- 13:20 GMT (06:20 PDT)

Caption by: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

Amazon Fire Phone

As we'd expect from Amazon, we have a device built using quality – but on the whole generic – parts, but with the emphasis put on delivering a product that is itself unique, functional and tightly bound to the Amazon ecosystem.

The screen is, and is always the case with Amazon products, the highlight. It is a 4.7-inch industry-leading ultra-bright display making the handset suited to use in bright sunshine. It features dynamic image contrast to keep the image clear – as opposed to just altering the brightness which is what most smartphones do) and also features a circular polarizer to reduce glare.

The camera too is a big feature. The F2.0 lens gives it excellent low-light capability, beating what Apple and Samsung can go in tests carried out by Amazon.

It's clear that Amazon has once again put the hardware focus on the bit that users see the most – the screen.

Quad-core 2.2GHz processor

Adremo 330 GPU

2GB RAM

4.7-inch IPS 1,280 x 720 retina display with 315 pixels-per-inch, dynamic contrast and circular polarizer for outdoor use (the rumored 3D display turns out to be a software-driven dynamic perspective effect as opposed to true 3D)

Gorilla Glass 3 scratch-resistant screen with rubber frame

13MP rear-facing camera with F2.0 five element lens (giving it good low-light capability) and optical stabilization, and can capture full HD video at 30FPS

Four 120-degree field-of-view front-facing cameras with IR illumination for head tracking for the dynamic perspective feature

Samsung Galaxy Note 4

Bigger and better than the Galaxy S5, Samsung's new flagship handset is an all-round improvement on its predecessor.

It's not out yet in the US, but if you're in the market for a high-end device, this is certainly worth waiting for.

KitKat (Android 4.4)

Snapdragon 805 quad-core processor

5.7-inch 2560 x 1440 display with 515 pixels-per-inch

3GB of RAM

Stylus (a pro or a con depending on your view of them)

16MP rear camera

3.7MP front camera

4G LTE

NFC

32 internal storage

microSD card slot for expansion

3200mAh battery offering 21 hours of talk time, up to 420 hours of standby

Pros and Cons

Pros:

Fastest, most powerful smartphone on the list

Fantastic display

Storage expansion

Great battery life

Stylus (depending on your view of such things)

Cons:

Large handset

Stylus (depending on your view of such things)

Part plastic build

Poor fit and finish on some handsets

Published: October 2, 2014 -- 13:20 GMT (06:20 PDT)

Photo by: Samsung

Caption by: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

LG G3

Building on the success of the G2, LG looks to take on Android smartphone giant Samsung with the G3. LG has taken the good points of the G2 and made changes such as adding a microSD card slot and removable battery, features which users had asked for.

A solid, well-rounded phablet.

Android 4.4.2 'KitKat'

2.5 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad-core processor

5.5-inch QHD IPS 2560 x 1440 display featuring 534-pixel-per-inch

13MP rear camera

2.1MP front camera

16/32GB internal storage

microSD card support

3000mAh battery offering 21 hours of talk time, up to 550 hours of standby

Pros and Cons

Pros:

Storage expansion

Awesome display

Excellent battery which is also user-replaceable

Cons:

A huge handset

Plastic construction

Published: October 2, 2014 -- 13:20 GMT (06:20 PDT)

Photo by: LG

Caption by: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

Google Nexus 5

Not only has it been put together using some of the best components currently available, it also offers the purest Android experience possible, and gives owners access to the latest Android 4.4 KitKat. Owners also will get their updates direct from Google and won't need to wait for hardware OEMs or carriers to release customized updates (or just never receive updates, as is still the case with many handsets).

I've always found Nexus-branded hardware to be solid and reliable, but I'd give this a few weeks for Google to shake out any potential bugs before recommending it to anyone other than hardcore Android enthusiasts.

KitKat (Android 4.4)

2.23GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 CPU

4.95-inch 1920x1080 display with a pixel density of 445 pixels-per-inch

8MP rear camera

1.3MP front camera

16/32GB internal storage

2300mAh battery offering 17 hours of talk time, up to 300 hours of standby

Pros and Cons

Pros:

Good price

Powerful hardware

Stock Android

Cons:

No microSD expansion

Poor battery life

Published: October 2, 2014 -- 13:20 GMT (06:20 PDT)

Photo by: Google

Caption by: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

Samsung Galaxy S5

The flagship Galaxy handset sees an upgrade and the addition of new sensors.

While I have little doubt that Samsung was influenced by the iPhone 5S – the fingerprint reader and motion sensors kinda gives that away – there's also plenty of originality in the Galaxy S5 too.

KitKat (Android 4.4)

5.1-inch Full HD Super AMOLED with a pixel density of 415 pixels-per-inch

2800mAh battery offering 21 hours of talk time, up to 390 hours of standby

Pros and Cons

Pros:

Excellent display

Powerful hardware

Water resistant

Excellent battery life

Removable battery

Cons:

Fingerprint reader is hit and miss

Plastic design

Published: October 2, 2014 -- 13:20 GMT (06:20 PDT)

Photo by: Samsung

Caption by: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

Sony Xperia Z3

Sony seems to be perpetually revamping the Xperia Z line, and the Z3 is yet another fine handset. One of its stand-out features is that it is IP68 certified, which means it is dust proof and water resistant to 1 meter for 30 minutes.

KitKat (Android 4.4)

5.2-inch IPS LED display with a pixel density of 424 pixels-per-inch

2.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor with Adreno 330 GPU

20.7MP rear camera

2.2MP front camera

16GB internal storage

microSD card support

3200mAh battery offering 19 hours of talk time, up to 740 hours of standby

Pros and Cons

Pros:

Excellent display

Water resistant

Excellent noise cancellation

Storage expansion

Cons:

Weighty handset

No HDMI output

Published: October 2, 2014 -- 13:20 GMT (06:20 PDT)

Photo by: Sony

Caption by: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

HTC One M8

Looking like the original HTC One, the One M8 features an unibody aluminum shell which gives it a firm feel, unlike the Samsung Galaxy S4 with its plastic shell.

Inside the shell is everything you'd expect from a modern Android smartphone – a large, high-pixel-density display, a powerful quad-core processor, plenty of storage, good cameras, and a microSD card for storage expansion which supports cards up to 128GB.

KitKat (Android 4.2.2) with HTC Sense

2.3GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801

5-inch Full HD, 1080p display (441 pixels-per-inch)

4MP rear camera

4MP UltraPixel front camera

16/32GB internal storage

microSD card slot

2600mAh battery offering 20 hours of talk time, up to 495 hours of standby

Pros and Cons

Pros:

Powerful hardware

Excellent finish

Exceptional display

Cons:

Not very durable

Rear camera can be hit and miss

Published: October 2, 2014 -- 13:20 GMT (06:20 PDT)

Photo by: HTC

Caption by: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

Sony Xperia Z3 Compact

Sony zaps the Zperia Z3 with a shrink ray to make it more suited to people with small hands and pockets.

You still get a powerful handset, but you get it in a more portable form factor.

KitKat (Android 4.4)

4.6-inch 1280x720 TRILUMINOS display

2.5 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor

20.7MP rear camera

2.2MP front camera

Water and dustproof

16GB internal storage

microSD card support

2600mAh battery offering 14 hours of talk time, up to 920 hours of standby

Pros and Cons

Pros:

Small and lightweight

Powerful hardware

Excellent battery life

Storage expansion

Dust and waterproof

Cons:

Small display

Pricy

Published: October 2, 2014 -- 13:20 GMT (06:20 PDT)

Photo by: Sony

Caption by: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

Samsung Galaxy S5 Active

Like Samsung's Galaxy S5, but without the fingerprint reader and with the addition of a more durable shell.

KitKat (Android 4.4)

5.1-inch Full HD Super AMOLED with a pixel density of 415 pixels-per-inch

Best Android smartphones (October 2014 edition)

Here is a selection of the best Android phones currently available on the market. Whether you're after a handset for personal use, or one suited to BYOD, there's bound to be an Android handset here for you.

Read MoreRead Less

Introduction

If you're in the market for an Android handset, I have good news for you – there's never been a better time to buy. Not only are there a number of awesome handsets out there, but there's also a smartphone to suit everyone's needs, taste, and even pocket!